Scanran Trust
by Hoshi4
Summary: A young scanran girl must save tortall and the people who don't trust her to save scanra as well
1. Crossing the Border

Scanran Trust

Chapter One

Crossing the Border

Scanra is a place of mountains and cold weather. Scanra is also a place of mistrust, gangsters, and warring tribes, of mages with terrible powers, and of little orphan girls. 

A forest, the place where all stories seem to begin. A place of magic and mystery, terror and suspicion, cures and curses. A place where everything starts and everything ends.

The town of New Hope, lead by a young Keladry of Mindelan, who happened to be the defeater of the Scanran machines and also happened to be leaving New Hope very soon. She had come back after a nice stay with her friends in Corus, and she had only come back to New Hope for a few weeks to make sure everything was going okay. 

A young woman deprived of food, cold, and thin. Her long blonde hair had more knots in it then curls, and she had a lot of curls. Her dark brown eyes were ghostly. Her face looked around the forest with a vacant expression etched on it. She had the look of a fawn that couldn't find its way home, no matter how hard it tried.

Faun trudged along the forest path, eyes intent on the expanse of trees ahead. "I must get to Tortall. Mollyen said so. Or, thought so," Faun chanted to herself, a haunted look in her eyes as she recalled her cursed gift. The gift of telekinesis, the ability to use her mind for deadly purposes, one of which was to read others minds. She hated it, especially because she knew that the reason the Dark Mage, or, in Scanran, Avadth, had come and destroyed her village was because of her gift. Her accursed gift.

Meanwhile, Keladry of Mindelan was safe and happy in New Hope, sitting and chatting with Sergeant Domitan of the Kings Own. The Own had escorted her to New Hope and would escort her back to Corus when she believed the time was right. Kel had not been surprised when she had come to New Hope and found that it was running quite well without her. She felt good that she wasn't the mortar that held the walls of New Hope together as she had silently feared. Outwardly she had been calm, but inside there was a flicker, but only a flicker, of worry about New Hope, the town that she had helped create and re-create. "So, Kel, when do you think we'll be getting back?" Dom asked casually, leaning back in his chair. Kel smiled at him. He looked very handsome like that. "Don't know. Sometime soon, a few days mayhap. Not much longer then that. Even though I love this place, I miss Corus. It's my home. Or one of them," Kel answered.

"What's your other one?" he asked.

"The Yamani Islands," Kel answered. Dom smiled at her. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Kel opened it to find Domo, her second-in-command while she was here, standing there. "We found somethin', miss. A woman all passed out in da forest. We brought 'er to the sick bay, miss, and we want you to have a look at her. I think she's a Scanran." At those words, Kel went running to the sick bay, Dom right at her heels. Scanrans were not so much liked in Tortall, and having one of them in New Hope could cause quite a stir.

Faun clearly recalled passing out and waking up to find strong hands picking her up. Thinking it was Avadath, she squirmed and shrieked. The man holding her hit her on the head with his hand, and she passed out again.

Faun woke up to find herself in a bed with people peering at her. One of them was Keladry of Mindelan, the other was Sergeant Domitan of the King's Own. Faun had heard about them in Scanra and knew them right away. "Hello, what's your name?" Kel asked.

"Faun. I need to go to Corus!" Faun told her with security. She knew that she had to warn the King and Queen of Avadath before he destroyed Tortall like he did to her village. Kel looked at her suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because I need to talk to the King and Queen! It's urgent!" Kel looked first at the girl, then at Dom. Suddenly Raoul burst into the tent. When he saw Faun he stopped dead. "She wants to see Jon and Thayet," Dom told him.

"Well then," Raoul said vindictively, "let's take her to them. In chains." Raoul had always hated Scanrans, and it showed. Faun screamed as they lurched her out of bed and tied chains to her arms and legs and around her neck. She felt like a slave. "This is no better then coming into the possession of Avadath," she whispered silently to herself.

"No muttering curses at us, you filthy Scanran. It is us who should be cursing you!" Faun sighed, and tears rolled down her cheeks. They would be sorry later, o so sorry, when Avadath came for them and they weren't ready. All because they couldn't trust a Scanran. Of course, trusting a Scanran is not an easy task. Scanrans are not to be trusted. Even by other Scanrans.


	2. To Corus

Scanran Trust

Chapter Two

To Corus

Faun held her head high as she was shoved onto a horse and was dragged along on a lead rope. The black-as-night stallion barely cocked a head as she was shoved on the horse. Faun had always had a knack for animals, especially since she could read their minds as well as the minds of humans, and the knack seemed to hold. She could even talk to them in their minds, and they could talk back. Animals were very sensitive to telekinesis. ~Hi. What's your name?~ Faun asked, rubbing the stallion's head.

~Night Blade. What are you here for?~

~I'm a Scanran. Here to help them, warn them of an evil coming.~

~What evil coming?~ the horse asked, visibly shuddering. Faun could hear murmurs from the Own, but disregarded them. "Avadth~ Faun answered, and Night Blade whinnied hysterically. She reeled onto her hind legs, but after a few seconds of stroking and whispers from Faun she calmed down. ~Really, he's coming?~ Night Blade asked, his head-voice betraying his fear. Faun simply nodded.

Kel watched this display with a new respect for this Scanran girl. "She can handle a horse," Kel whispered to Dom, who rode beside her. He nodded; he had seen the display just as well as anyone. A few of the Own had clapped, but Raoul had only scowled. "As long as she's with Raoul, this girl is going to get a lot of trouble," Kel thought sadly as she watched Raoul's scowling face.

As the sun slowly faded into the west, the Own halted. "Let's set up camp!" Raoul bellowed. Kel grinned and got off her horse. She walked up to Faun and Night Blade and helped Faun off the horse. Faun looked at her skeptically, and Kel whispered, "I don't hate Scanrans so much. One of good friends is one."

"Daine?" Faun asked, but already knew the answer. Kel was taken aback. "Do they tell tales of Daine in Scanra as well?" Kel asked. 

"No. My sister was born in Tortall, as was my father," Faun answered.

"Where is your family now?"

"My father died a few years ago, with my mother, and my sister was killed when the Dark Mage destroyed my village. She told me to come to Tortall and warn the King and Queen about the Dark Mage. She wasted her last breath trying to help people like Raoul," Faun said, in obvious disgust. 

"Don't hate him so. He's lost many of his friends to the Scanrans, and it's hardened him against them. Don't take it personally," Kel said passionately, and then smiled at Faun. "KELADRY OF MINDELAN, GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" Raoul screamed from across the camp. Kel smiled at Faun again and walked over to talk to Raoul, or more like be yelled at by Raoul for "associating with the enemy," as he called it. "Men," Kel thought as she trudged across the camp. Once she looked back, to see Faun staring strangely at her, a smile on her lips, as if…, "No," Kel shook herself. Faun couldn't be… could she?

A few weeks later, the gates of Corus shone in the morning sunlight. "Corus at last," Faun whispered, joy in her eyes. She would finally be able to do what Mollyen had asked her to do. A sudden, desperate need to fulfill this task welled up within her. She sat up straighter, acting very nobly in chains. Her eyes shone brightly, as did her hair. She had the air of a queen, but the essence of a the Great Mother Goddess herself.


	3. To See the King

Scanran Trust

Chapter Three

To See the King 

Faun gazed in wonder at the city of Corus. She had never seen something so large, except once. She had grown up in her small village by the Tortallan border, and it had had nothing large in it other then the church. This place was a huge, bustling city with a few towers, and oh, the palace! What a large and fancy place that was! With towers and flowers, trees, courtyards, all shining in the sunlight it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Faun could barely keep her mouth shut. "It's pretty, isn't it?" Kel whispered in her ear. Faun could barely move her head enough to nod. Kel chuckled. She had been very surprised with Corus when she had come, but not this surprised. "Well, I did grow up in the Yamani islands and not a small village in Scanra. It makes sense," Kel thought to herself. Even with her newfound understanding, Kel couldn't help but laugh herself silly over the way Faun was acting. She heard Dom chuckle as well, and soon all of the Own, except for a few, were chuckling. Faun realized they were laughing at her and, from reading their minds, she could see that she had been quite a spectacle, so she laughed as well. Soon all of the riders except Raoul were laughing. It proved to lighten up the atmosphere.

Kel stood in front of the King, and bowed deeply. Her face was red and her mouth was set into a determined line. For the first time in her life she had yelled at Raoul. "Keladry, what do you think of this Scanran girl?" King Jonathan asked her.

"I think she is civil, kind, and nice. She never did anything remotely bad to us on the whole trip. Of course, she couldn't really anyway because she was tied up in chains. She came here because she is doing the will of her sister, who happens to be dead. Her sister and father were born in Tortall, and she has come here now, after her village is destroyed, to warn us about something. I don't know what it is, she said she should only tell the King and Queen, but it must be something because every time she speaks the name of the thing she is warning us against, all the horses in the camp neigh and buck. I think she has some kind of telekinetic power because she can talk to the horses in her mind. I know she isn't like Daine, because animals don't come running to her every second, but she has some kind of power," Kel said, her face boiling mad as she spoke. 

"Keladry, why are you so mad?" asked the King.

"Because a person tries to come to Corus to HELP US, and what do we do? Put her in a dungeon and keep her in chains just because she came out of Scanra!" Kel screamed. All the room became deathly silent, for Keladry of Mindelan had screamed at the King.

"I was not aware of this treatment," the King said angrily, "who is responsible for it?"

"Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malories Peak, your grace," Kel answered, staring straight at Raoul. Raoul was very tense but stood tall and proud. "Raoul, just because you hate the Scanrans doesn't give you the right to imprison them without an order from me!" the King shouted angrily. "Go get her immediately, and take off her chains!" Raoul nodded solemnly and walked out. "Thank you, your grace," Kel said, bowing.

Faun stood in front of the King, her chains removed and her head high. "I am Faun, daughter of Erick of Whitethorn. I have come here from my home in Scanra to warn you of an evil coming. The Dark Mage, Avadth, has been awakened and he is destroying Scanra as we speak. He is the one who destroyed my village, and he is after all kinds of mages. I was the only mage in my village, so he has failed once, and I cannot let him get to me. I only came to warn you of him," Faun said, and bowed.

"Who is this Dark Mage and what kind of magic do you have?" the king asked.

"I have the magic of the mind, telekinesis. The Dark Mage is an evil Scanran mage from long ago. He destroyed most of Scanra and divided what was left into the tribes we have today. One man, the White Mage, who had powers similar to mine, as does the Dark Mage, came out of hiding and trapped the Dark Mage in a cage of telekinetic energy. He has been there ever since, until a few weeks ago, when an evil man named Saruf the Cunning let him out. To destroy the Dark Mage you must kill Saruf and the Dark Mage, which is no easy task. I came here to tell you so that you could send people out to kill him," Faun answered. The King's eyes grew wide and he dismissed the court, sending Faun to a room in the palace and everyone else to their rooms. Everyone except Alanna the Lioness, Daine Sarrasri, Numair Salamin, Kel, Raoul, Dom, and one other man she didn't know.

Faun heard a knock on her door and she opened it. It was Kel. "We have come to a decision. Almost. Do you know where the Dark Mage is?" Kel asked. Faun nodded. "Good. We have chosen Alanna, Daine, Numair, me, Raoul, Dom, and Raoul's second cousin Brian, who is a mage and a knight to go. Brian is a mage of the same type as you. We will bring you as well because you are the only one who knows the way. Be ready early tomorrow morning." Faun just stared as Kel left. "Oh sister, why did you not tell me of this?" Faun asked as she flopped onto the bed, exhaustion finally taking hold of her. She fell into a peaceful sleep, and dreamed of the next day's journey.


	4. Nightmares and Annoying Friends

Author's Note- Dreams are in these 

Scanran Trust

Chapter Four

Nightmares

A large black hand extends down from the sky, crushing all in sight. Faun screams as she sees her house go up in flames. "Mollyen!" She screams and races towards the house. A bloody hand lies on the ground, it's arm hidden beneath the rubble. "Mollyen!" she screams again as she uses her powers to move the rubble away from her sister. When she sees her sister's bloody head she screams

Faun woke up, shivering. She shook herself, knowing it was only a nightmare, and fell back asleep.

A grassy meadow with flowers and butterflies and little bees lies before her. A woman and a man walk slowly towards her. Faun is again a ten year old. "Mommy! Daddy!" she cries and runs towards the people. When she reaches them she tries to hug them, but they just keep walking, right through her

"Mommy! Daddy!" Faun screams as she again wakes. She pushes away her nightmares with her mind and falls asleep again.

A dark face looks at her from under a hood. He snickers and reaches out to her. "Avadth!" she hisses and runs away. She sees another hand, a white one, out-stretched to her. She jumps into it and feels herself be flown away from the dark mage. When she is set down again she hears a voice very familiar to her. "Mommy?" she asks. 

"Yes, darling child. I am the White Mage, and I had to leave you so that you would gain my powers. Along with your newfound friends you must defeat Saruf the Cunning and the Dark Mage. Will you accept this responsibility?" her mother, the White Mage, asked. Faun nodded, and the dream ended

"My mother, the White Mage?" Faun wondered hazily when she awoke again. She pondered it for a few moments, and then fell back into a dreamless sleep.

Kel, on the other hand, was wide-awake and thinking hard. "Why can't I stop thinking about Dom?" she asked herself quietly. There was a knock on the door and Neal barged in. "I'm coming with you!" he said sternly. "How could you forget about a healer?" he asked stubbornly.

"Sorry Neal. You can come," Kel said, smiling. Neal had been Alanna's only squire, so this trip would be quite amusing. "By the way Kel, Dom does like you," Neal said mischievously as he raced out of the room. Kel frowned, and then realized that Neal must have heard her. "Crap," she whispered to herself as she lay back down on her bed, and fell into a sleep filled with dreams.


	5. Meetings and Beginnings

Scanran Trust

Chapter Five

Meetings and the Beginning

Faun woke up early in the morning and got out of bed. She brushed her hair and pulled on a tunic and breeches that were on a chair by her bed. She opened the door and walked around in the castle for a while. She heard footsteps behind her, and she turned quickly. It was only Neal. "So, you're the Scanran girl. Kel told me about you," Neal said. 

"Yes, I'm sure she did," Faun replied, immediately taking a liking towards this man. She heard even more footsteps behind her and turned to see Yuki standing there. She whispered something into Neal's ear and he pouted. "Why you…" he growled.

"Hello, I am Yuki. Pleased to meet you. I am Neal's fiancée, and we are both unexpected new companions on your trip," Yuki said softly, bowing in Yamani fashion. Faun bowed back the same way; after reading Yuki's mind it was easy enough to know everything she needed to know about how to bow. "Ah, you were taught Yamani customs?" Yuki asked. 

"No, I read your mind and found out the information," Faun told her matter-of-factly, and turned back around to find herself face to face with Kel. "It's time to go," Kel said, smiling at Yuki and Neal. Faun nodded and followed Kel outside, to start their journey.

Daine pet Cloud and hopped onto her. Numair hopped onto another horse, a tall lanky one that suited him just fine, that was standing beside her. I pity the Lanky is on, Cloud said to Daine. She chuckled and answered back, "They're both lanky enough, so I think they'll manage. At least he's not riding you!" Cloud twitched underneath her and whinnied. "If your horse did not like you so much, I would reckon that he would buck you off, and soon," Faun commented from the other side of Daine, in perfect Scanran. Daine turned her head and shook it. "Ah, Faun. It is a pleasure to meet you. I was beginning to think you wouldn't come," Daine answered, wondering how this girl knew that she was Daine. "Because my father was born here and told me all about you. He only went to Scanra a few years after I was born," Faun answered her unspoken question.

"I forgot you were a telepath," Daine replied meekly. Faun nodded and rode off. "She creeps me out," Numair whispered. Daine laughed. "Because you think that she has more power then you?" she asked.

"No, I'm worried that she is so cocky about it that it'll get us all killed." Numair sighed. "It is so very hard to trust this girl."

"It's always hard to trust Scanrans," Daine said. 

"That it is, that it is."

Raoul rode up alongside his second cousin, Brian. "I'll tell you one thing boy," Raoul whispered, "don't trust a word that spews from her slimy little mouth." Brain nodded, but didn't really listen. Everyone knew he was prejudiced against Scanrans, and Brian wouldn't avoid her just because of that. Maybe, if he could get Faun to be nicer, it would prove Second Uncle Raoul wrong. That would be a sight!

Alanna the Lioness rode up alongside Raoul and patted him on the back. "Don't be so prejudiced sometimes. It always ends in tears," she said silently and rode off. Raoul nodded, but Alanna's words simply went in one ear and out the other. Raoul's mistrust could cause problems on this journey…

Neal sat with his head together with Yuki as they rode, talking to her about this and that, nothing really. Kel rode next to Dom, talking and laughing. She was so happy. The only thing dampening her joy was the reason for this mission. To kill the Dark Mage and Saruf.


	6. The Dark Mage's Mistake

Scanran Trust

Chapter Six

The Dark Mage's Mistake

Gala Damedire sat on the bar stool, staring out the window to the side of her. Her glossy blonde hair and green eyes made her something to look at, but most men steered clear of her. She was known throughout the town as a ruthless assassin, and no man wanted to risk her anger. Once she wanted to kill somebody, they were dead. A man came up behind her. He was another reason nobody messed with Gala. Harland, her brother was another ruthless assassin, and he didn't much care for men who came after his sister. He was very protective of her. "Gala, he wants to speak with us now," Harland whispered in her ear. Gala nodded and stood up. She took one last gulp of her beer and set the mug down on the bar. She put her two astrels inside the mug, which was mostly empty, and walked out the door. Harland nodded slightly and walked out after his sister.

Avadth stood on the balcony of Terra Tower, staring out at the expanse of space ahead of him. He grinned. "Soon, all the mages of the world shall be in my grasp and no one will be able to defeat me!" the Dark Mage snickered. 

"Your Darkness, sire, we are here as you demanded. What is it that you want of us?" Harland asked, trudging up behind his master. 

"I want you to join the Tortallan's journey here, and kill them all off, one by one," he said slowly. Gala and Harland nodded.

Two shadows appeared ahead of them. It had been two days since the beginning of their journey, and the group of Tortallans had just left Terif, a small town a few hundred miles away from Corus. As the two figures approached, the party immediately noticed the blonde hair and green eyes that marked them as Scanrans. Or, most Scanrans had at least one of these attributes, and having both usually meant "pure blood," or as pure as Scanran blood could get. One of them was male and one was female. They both seemed very sick and wounded. Alanna walked up to them and asked them how they were doing. They looked at her skeptically. Faun walked up to the two and in flawless Scanran asked how they were doing. Gala and Harland Damedire introduced themselves and told a very false story. Faun detected a lie, and checked it out in the two minds. "I don't believe you," Faun said, in accented Tortallan.

"Why not?" Gala blurted, then clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Because you are lying. I can tell. But, we must not let you tell the Dark Mage of this. I will have to suspend you," Faun told them.

"NO!" they screamed.

"What is suspending?" Raoul asked, trying to be as civil as possible.

"I put them into another world, and only I can talk to them or take them out of it. In Scanra it is done to criminals. They can't move, eat, drink, or talk to each other or the others in suspension. The years or minutes of their lives are not taken away though, so if they are suspended and the person who suspended them dies, they will be in the world of suspension until one of the beasts in that world devours them. It is not exactly something most people want to do." And with that, Faun muttered a few words in Scanran and Gala and Harland Damedire disappeared for a very long time. And the Black Mage's first mistake happened. He underestimated the party of Tortallans, and that was very bad.


End file.
